Hill 442

Hill 442 was the site of a battle of the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War which occurred in 1968.

During the massive offensive into South Vietnam in 1968, the NVA targeted Tuyen Doc Province in central South Vietnam. The US Marine Corps was sent to defend a hill marked "Hill 442" on American maps, which was steep, riddled with destroyed trees and craters, and which was located adjacent to an abandoned settlement. The Marines initially pinned down the NVA troops at the village, but the NVA rushed the Marine positions in large numbers and quickly forced them up the slopes. The Marines were shockingly forced to fall back to position after position before some of their reinforcements could even reach the embattled areas, and the Marines were forced to withdraw after a brave battle which resulted in the NVA taking control of the hill with over 50% losses. Tuyen Doc Province fell into NVA hands, one of the few territorial gains during the Tet Offensive which would remain in NVA hands for over a year.